The South African Police Service (SAPS) can confirm that eight bodies were recovered from a stream following a tragic incident where a vehicle ended in a stream.

Preliminary investigations indicate that a bakkie carrying multiple passengers was traveling from Heilbron on Saturday afternoon and did not reach its destination on a farm in the Heilbron district. The occupants were reported missing on the night of 02 March 2025. They were travelling along a Welgeluk dirt road between two farms when the driver of the bakkie attempted to cross a low-water bridge, called Kliprivier. The vehicle was swept away by strong currents, leading to the loss of multiple lives. The driver a 71-year-old man with his wife, a 62-year-old and their three grandchildren, two boys aged 10 and one girl aged 14 were driving together with their colleagues, a husband (34) and wife (33) with their two-year-old girl child.

Police went out to search for them and they were discovered by a farmer this morning (Monday 03 March 2025). Search and Rescue dogs with their handlers and police divers were immediately dispatched this morning, and after an extensive search operation, the bodies were retrieved from the water.

Police have opened an inquest docket and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) urges the community to exercise extreme caution during these rainy conditions and to avoid crossing flooded areas, particularly low-water bridges, rivers, and streams.

We advise the public to avoid crossing flooded roads, bridges, or streams, even if the water appears shallow, to not attempt to walk or drive through fast-moving water, as its depth and strength can be deceiving or to find alternative routes and wait for water levels to subside before proceeding.